State urges parents to ensure Hib vaccination
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota health officials are urging parents to make sure their infants are fully vaccinated against a bacterial infection known as HiB.
The caution comes after what officials say was a jump in cases in 2008. Five cases were reported. Health officials said Friday that three of those, including one death, came in children who hadn’t been immunized.
HiB is Haemophilus influenza type B. Minnesota epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield says the state hasn’t seen as many cases in young children since 1992.
The Health Department says a national shortage of the vaccine has existed since late 2007 and is expected to last until this summer. The department says that skipping the final booster shot in the vaccine series, as some groups have recommended to extend the supply, may be contributing to the jump in cases.
Lynfield says the disease can lead to severe illness, including meningitis and death.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
I know there is an ongoing and very heated debate about this… here is my opinion. There is no “real” proof that vaccinations cause autism. There IS proof that vaccinations can keep your babies and children from contracting these DEADLY DISEASES. While autism is extremely tough and scary and I have no doubts of the challenges that exist in raising a child with autism, I would rather have an autistic child than a dead one.
My nephew contracted meningitis when he was a mere 3 weeks old. He nearly died- coding several times. He was at Children’s Hospital for close to a month. How did he contract this deadly illness? My sister’s doctor said she didn’t need to be tested for Group B Strep. Since she was having a c-section there would be no need. Lessons learned, she still passed it on to her baby. I know, a little off the topic, but I have seen how dangerous meningitis is in infants. Protect your children. Get them vaccinated.